Introduction to Warhammer 40,000

Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop battle game where two players command armies of miniatures and fight across a terrain-filled battlefield until, after five battle rounds of movement, shooting and close combat, one commander stands victorious.

This series walks through the Core Rules one section at a time, in plain instructional language, so you can learn to play correctly from a standing start or brush up on a rule you have forgotten mid-game.

What the game is

Each player controls an army of miniatures drawn from one of the game's many factions — the forces of the Imperium or one of its numerous enemies. Over the course of a battle you manoeuvre your models, unleash ranged firepower and lock units into brutal hand-to-hand fighting, all with the goal of completing your mission's objectives and breaking the enemy before they break you.

A game is not won purely by wiping out the opposing army. Every game is played using a mission, which you generate before you begin. The mission tells you how to set up, how large each army should be, what special rules are in effect, and — most importantly — exactly what you must do to win. Holding ground and scoring objectives usually matters far more than raw destruction.

What you need to play

To get a game going you need a few things:

• An army of miniatures. You muster your force from your collection up to the total size the mission specifies. Building a themed, effective army is a rewarding hobby in its own right.
• A battlefield with terrain. Any flat surface works, a table being ideal. Your mission guides the size of the playing area and the amount and placement of terrain.
• A mission. This defines your objectives and the conditions of the battle.
• Dice and a tape measure. The game uses six-sided dice (D6) for its rolls, and all distances are measured in inches.
• Your rules. The Core Rules cover the shared framework; each faction's own rules describe what its specific units can do.

Battle rounds, turns and phases

A battle is structured into battle rounds, and a game usually lasts five of them. Within each battle round, both players take a turn — first one player, then the other. The player currently taking their turn is doing so while their opponent waits and reacts.

Every turn is divided into five phases, worked through in a fixed order:

• Command phase — resolve start-of-turn effects, generate Command points, and take Battle-shock rolls where required.
• Movement phase — reposition your units across the battlefield.
• Shooting phase — fire ranged weapons at the enemy.
• Charge phase — launch units into close combat with the foe.
• Fight phase — resolve melee attacks, with both players' engaged units taking part.

When the first player finishes all five phases, their opponent takes a turn running through the same five phases. Once both players have completed a turn, the battle round ends and a new one begins, until the game reaches its conclusion and the winner is decided by the mission's scoring.

How this series is organized

The guides ahead follow the structure of the Core Rules. We begin with the foundational Basic Rules — the core concepts that underpin everything, and how to read a datasheet — then move through each phase of the turn in play order, followed by the deeper systems that sit on top: leaders, transports, terrain, Battle-shock, Stratagems and more. Read them in order for a full grounding, or jump to the section you need. Keep your dice handy.

Frequently asked questions

How do you win a game of Warhammer 40,000?

You win by scoring your mission's objectives, not simply by destroying the enemy. Every game is played to a mission you generate beforehand, and it defines exactly what you must achieve to be crowned the victor, so holding ground and claiming objectives usually matters more than raw kills.

How long does a game of Warhammer 40,000 last?

A battle is structured into battle rounds, and a game usually runs for five of them. In each battle round both players take a turn one after the other, and once both have finished their turns the round ends and a new one begins.

What do you need to play Warhammer 40,000?

You need an army of miniatures mustered to the mission's size, a battlefield with terrain, a mission that sets your objectives, plus six-sided dice (D6) and a tape measure since all distances are measured in inches. You also need the Core Rules along with your faction's own rules.

What are the phases of a turn in Warhammer 40,000?

Each turn is worked through in a fixed order of five phases: the Command phase, the Movement phase, the Shooting phase, the Charge phase and the Fight phase. Both players run through all five phases on their own turn.

What happens in the Command phase in 40k?

The Command phase is the first phase of your turn, where you resolve start-of-turn effects, generate Command points and take any Battle-shock rolls that are required. It sets up your resources and unit status before you begin moving models.